Pivoting shelf guard

ABSTRACT

A shelf guard comprises a guard pivotable about a pivot point and a support configured to secure the guard to a shelf. The guard rotates between a first and a second position. In the first position, the guard allows access to the shelf and is balanced in a stationary position. In the second position, the guard prevents items from falling off the shelf. The guard&#39;s pivot point can be offset from the back of the shelf. The guard can rotate through an arc of more than 90° between the first and second positions.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

This application is related to U.S. Provisional Application 62/259,568, filed Nov. 24, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to shelf guards. More specifically, disclosed herein are devices, systems, and methods for allowing access to a shelf and preventing items from falling off the shelf.

BACKGROUND

Typical library shelves are about 12″ high, 36″ wide, and 10″ deep and include racks of multiple shelves. Library shelves typically hold books 6″ to 12″ tall. Shelves can also hold DVDs, compact discs, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, boxes, containers, and other items.

During earthquakes, books and other items can fall off the shelves resulting in damage to the items. The books can pile up on each other, becoming disordered and scattered. As a result of the fall, the books can have broken backs and torn pages. Considerable time can be required to pick up, sort, repair, and store the fallen books until the shelves are corrected.

SUMMARY

The devices, systems, and methods disclosed herein have several features no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope as expressed by the claims that follow, its more prominent features will now be discussed briefly. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled “Detailed Description” one will understand how the features of the system and methods provide several advantages over traditional systems and methods.

In some implementations, a device for preventing items from falling off a shelf may have a guard configured to pivot about a pivot point and rotate from a first position to a second position. The device may also have a support having the pivot point and configured to secure the pivot point in a position relative to the shelf. The guard may rotate through an arc of more than 90 degrees between the first position and the second position in response to a shaking motion of the shelf. The support may comprise a first surface and a second surface. The first surface comprises a hole for mounting and the second surface comprises a pivot hole configured to fit a portion of the guard and provide the pivot point. The support may be mounted to a shelf above the shelf being guarded. The pivot point may be positioned in front of a front edge of the shelf. When in the first position, the guard may be titled towards the back of the shelf. The guard may have a first bend, the first bend having an inner bend angle and an inside bend radius. The inner bend angle may be less than 90 degrees. The inner bend radius may be about 0.25 inches. The device may also include a spacer positioned between the support and the first bend to prevent binding of the guard. The device may include a first bend that is configured to prevent binding of the guard.

In some implementations, a device for retaining items on a shelf may have a guard comprising a portion that extends along a horizontal axis that is generally parallel to a width of the shelf. The guard moves with respect to a vertical axis, which is generally perpendicular to the horizontal axis, between a first position and a second position. The guard is at a selected angle from the vertical axis when in the first position. The guard may also include a support comprising a pivot point that the guard pivots about. The pivot point is offset from a back of the shelf. The guard is configured to rotate from the first position to the second position in response to a shaking motion of the shelf. The guard may comprise four bends, each of the bends having an inner bend angle and an inside bend radius. In the first position, the guard may be angled towards the back of the shelf. The selected angle may be less than 10 degrees. The guard may rotate through an arc of more than 90 degrees when moving from the first position to the second position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosed aspects will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, provided to illustrate and not to limit the disclosed aspects, wherein like designations denote like elements. The drawings disclose illustrative embodiments and particularly illustrative implementations in the context of separating the components of whole blood. They do not set forth all embodiments. Other embodiments may be used in addition to or instead. Conversely, some embodiments may be practiced without all of the details that are disclosed. It is to be noted that the figures provided herein are not drawn to any particular proportion or scale, and that many variations can be made to the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a shelf guard illustrating the shelf guard in a first resting position and a second deployed position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of embodiments of a shelf guard, one illustrating a shelf guard in a first resting position and another illustrating a shelf guard in a second deployed position.

FIG. 3 is a planar view of an embodiment of a shelf guard.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is directed to certain implementations for the purposes of describing the innovative aspects of this disclosure. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a multitude of different ways. The described implementations may be implemented in any device, apparatus, or system that can be configured to allow access to a shelf and prevent items from falling off the shelf. More particularly, it is contemplated that the described implementations may be included in or associated with a variety of applications such as, but not limited to shelves in: libraries, homes, offices, schools, stores, laboratories, and ships. Shelves can have different items placed on them, for example, books, DVDs, compact discs, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, boxes, containers, and the like. Thus, the teachings are not intended to be limited to implementations depicted solely in the Figures, but instead have wide applicability as will be readily apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art.

For purposes of summarizing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objects and advantages of the invention have been described above and as further described below. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

A lightweight guard across the width of the shelf would prevent books and other items from falling but would interfere with accessing the books and other items on the shelf. An aspect of the shelf guard is that it allows access to items on the shelf and prevents the items from falling off the shelf. The guard may pivot about a pivot point and/or a pivot axis. The guard may pivot about a pivot point, which is located on a support that secures the pivot point relative to the shelf. The pivot point may be offset from the back of the shelf. The guard may be secured by two supports, each with a pivot point. The guard may pivot about a pivot axis that is defined by the two pivot points, one on each support. The guard may rotate about an axis created by the two pivot points 104. The pivot axis extends generally parallel to the width of the shelf.

The guard extends generally parallel to the width of the shelf. In some embodiments, the guard extends generally the full width of the shelf to prevent items from falling off anywhere on the shelf being guarded. In some embodiments, the guard extends partially along the width of the shelf, protecting a portion of the shelf and leaving a portion of the shelf unguarded.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the guard 100 rotates between a first resting position 110 and a second deployed position 112. In the first position 110, the guard 100 is in a position to allow access to the items 108 on the shelf 106. In the second position 112, the guard 100 is in a position to prevent the items 108 from falling off the shelf 106 and/or retain the items 108 on the shelf 106. In some embodiments, the guard 100 rotates more than 90° between the first and second positions 110 and 112. In some embodiments, the guard 100 rotates more than 180° between the first and second positions 110 and 112.

The guard 100 moves from the first position 110 to the second position 112 because of a shaking motion of the shelf, which can be due to seismic vibrations, an impact, or the like. The guard 100 can also be moved between first and second positions 110, 112 manually. In this manner, the shelf can be loaded easily when the guard 100 is in the first position 110, but at any shaking motion of the shelf, the guard 100 would pivot into the second position 112 and prevent items 108 from falling off the shelf 106 and/or retain the items 108 on the shelf 106.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the first position 110 of the guard 100 is denoted by the solid line and the second position 112 is denoted by the dotted line. As illustrated, in the first position 110, the guard 100 is positioned above the items 108 on the shelf 106 so that the items 108 on the shelf 106 are easily accessible. In the second position 112, the guard 100 is in a position to prevent the items 108 from falling off the shelf 106 and/or retain the items 108 on the shelf 106.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the guard 100 a on the nearer shelf 106 a is in the first position 110, allowing access the shelf 106 a. The guard 100 b on the farther shelf 106 b is in the second position 112, preventing items from falling off the shelf 106 b and limiting access to the shelf 106 b. To gain access to the shelf 106 b, the guard 100 b may be manually moved to the first position 110. If there is a shaking motion of the shelf, the guard 100 a will move from the first position 110 to the second position 112, preventing items from falling off the shelf 106 a.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the guard 100 a pivots about a pivot point 104. The pivot point 104 is offset from the back of the shelf 106 a and above the shelf 106 a. In some embodiments, the pivot point 104 may be in line with the front edge of the shelf 106 a, behind the front edge of the shelf, or in front of the front edge of the shelf. In some embodiments, the pivot point 104 is positioned so that it is generally aligned with the front edge of the shelf 106 a. In some embodiments, the pivot point 104 is set back from the front edge of the shelf 106 a (in a direction towards the back of the shelf). In some embodiments, the pivot point 104 is positioned in front of the front edge of the shelf 106 a.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the guard 100 a on the nearer shelf 106 a is in a position just past vertical when in the first position 110. The vertical axis extends generally parallel to the height of the shelf and generally perpendicular to the width of the shelf. When in the first position 110, the guard 100 a is at a selected angle from the vertical axis. In some embodiments, the selected angle may be less than 10°. In some embodiments, selected angle may be between 2° and 10°. While resting in the first position 110, the guard 100 a may be in a position that is tilted towards the back of the shelf 106 a. In some embodiments, the guard 100 a may be in a position that is tilted away from the back of the shelf 106 a. In some embodiments, the guard 100 a may be in a position that is generally parallel with the vertical axis. The guard 100 a is balanced and stationary while in the first position 110.

In some embodiments, the guard 100 a may rest against a stop to position the guard 100 a in the first position 110. In some embodiments, the guard 100 a may rest against another shelf, the supports, part of the shelving unit, or the like. The guard 100 a stays in the first position 110 until there is a shaking motion of the shelves, such as a vibration, wobble, rock, sway, or the like. The beginning shake of an earthquake would cause the guard 100 a to pivot forward and rotate into the second position 112, as illustrated by guard 100 b on the farther shelf 106 b. The guard 100 a pivots forward before the items because the inertia of the guard 100 a is smaller than the inertia of an item. In the second position 112, the guard 100 a would be in front of the items on the shelf 106 a, preventing them from sliding or tipping from the shelf 106 a during the course of the earthquake. If improperly positioned, the guard 100 may not respond to the earthquake in time to retain the items 108 on the shelf 106. In addition, if improperly positioned, the guard 100 may move from the first position too easily, moving when there is not a beginning of an earthquake or risk that items will fall off the shelf. This would cause the guard 100 to block the shelf 106 unnecessarily, hindering access to the shelf 106 and requiring someone to move the guard 100 out of the way when accessing the shelf.

When in the second position 112, the guard 100 is at a height that will prevent the items from falling off the shelf 106 and/or retain the items 108 on the shelf 106. In some embodiments, the guard 100 may be about 5″ to about 6″ above the shelf 106 when in the second position 112. The desired height of the guard 100 above the shelf 106 when in the second position 112 may depend on the properties of the items on the shelf, such as size, shape, type, inertia, center of gravity, or the like.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pivot point 104 is on a support 102. The support 102 secures the position of the pivot point 104. The supports have pivot holes 104 that allow portions of the guard 100 to go through and allow the guard 100 to rotate between the first and second positions. The guard 100 connects to the supports 102 at the pivot points 104 and is pivotable about the pivots 104.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the support 102 attaches to the shelf above the shelf being guarded 106 a. In some embodiments, the support 102 attaches to the shelf being guarded 106 a. In some embodiments, the support 102 attaches to the shelving unit, such as near or on the side or back of the shelving unit. In some embodiments, the support 102 is attached in a suitable position to secure the pivot point and allow the guard to pivot.

In some embodiments, the support 102 is an angle iron bracket that has a first surface for attaching to a shelf and a second surface that has a pivot hole 104. The guard 100 connects to the pivot hole 104 and the guard 100 pivots about the pivot hole 104. A portion of the guard 100 is inserted through the pivot hole 104. As illustrated in FIG.2, there may be a spacer 114 that prevents too much of the guard 100 from moving through the pivot hole 104. There may be an end cap 116, which prevents the guard 100 from falling out of the pivot hole 104. In some embodiments, the dimensions of the support bracket may be about ½″ by about ½″ with a thickness of about 1/16,″ comprising two mounting holes in the first surface and a pivot hole 104 with a diameter of about 3/16″ in the second surface. The first surface is in a plane that is generally parallel to the plane of the front of the shelving unit. The second surface is in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the plane of the first surface. The support 102 is secured so that the pivot hole 104 positions the guard 100 so that the guard extends across the width of the shelf 106. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, there may be two supports 102, one near each end of the shelf 106. In some embodiments, the support 102 may have a single surface for securing in position and comprising a pivot hole. In some embodiments, the support 102 is shaped to secure the pivot point 104, interact with the guard 100, and allow the guard 100 to pivot. In some embodiments, the support 102 attaches with two screws, making installation simple and convenient.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the guard 300 may be an integral piece with one or more bends. In some embodiments, the guard may be separate components that are connected via suitable means. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the guard 300 may have four bends 304, 306, 310, and 312. The bends in the guard may be formed by bending the guard around a 0.50″ dowel. The bends may be formed by other suitable means. The guard 300 has a first bend 304 and a second bend 306 that are near the first end 302. The leg 314 of the guard 300 extends between the first bend 304 and the second bend 306. The guard 300 has a third bend 310 and a fourth bend 312 that are near the second end 308. The leg 316 of the guard extends between the bends 310 and 312. The guard portion 318 extends generally in the X-direction and is the portion that extends generally across the width of the shelf. When the guard is in the second position, the guard portion 318 helps retain the items on the shelf.

The bends 304, 306, 310, 312 are in generally the same or substantially similar plane. The first bend 304 has an inside bend angle β₁ that is in a plane that is generally parallel to the X-Y plane illustrated in FIG. 3. The second bend 306 has an inside bend angle β₂ that is in a plane that is generally parallel to the X-Y plane illustrated in FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the inside bend angle β₁ is less than 90°. In some embodiments, the inside bend angle β₁ is between about 82° and about 83°. In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the inside bend angle is about 90°. In some embodiments, the bend angle β₁ and the bend angle β₂ are the same or substantially similar. In some embodiments, the bend angle β₁ and the bend angle β₂ are different. In some embodiments, the bend angle β₂ is less than 90°. In some embodiments, the bend angle β₂ is between about 82° and about 83°. In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the inside bend angle is about 90°. In some embodiments, the inside bend angles β₁, β₂, β₃, β₄ of all the bends 304, 306, 310, 312 are the same or substantially similar. In some embodiments, the inside bend angles β₁, β₃ of bends 304, 310 are the same or substantially similar to each other and are different from the inside bend angles β₂, β₄ of bends 306, 312.

The inside bend radius of a bend is measured from the inside diameter of the guard 300 to the center of curvature of the bend. In some embodiments, the bend radius R₁ of the first bend 304 is about 0.25 inches. In some embodiments, the bend radius of the first bend 304 is the same or substantially similar to the bend radius of the second bend 306. In some embodiments, the bend radius of the first bend 304 is different from the bend radius of the second bend 306. In some embodiments, the bend radius of the second bend 306 is about 0.25 inches. In some embodiments, the outside edge of the second bend 306 is to the left (in the X-direction as illustrated in FIG. 3) of the center of curvature of the first bend 304. In some embodiments, the outer edge of the second bend 306 extends closer in the X-direction to the first end 302 of the guard 300 than the center of curvature of the first bend 304.

The end portion 302 extends in a direction that is generally parallel to the X-direction, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The end portion 302 of the guard 300 fits into the pivot hole 104 of the support 102. If any formed portion of the guard 300 moves into the pivot hole 104, the guard 300 binds. Binding at the pivot hole 104 prevents the guard 300 from freely rotating between the first and second positions 110 and 112. Binding may occur due to side to side motion of the guard 300. Binding may be prevented when part of the guard 300 contacts the support 102 before binding can occur at the pivot hole 104. In some embodiments, a spacer, such as a washer or other suitable component, may be used to prevent the distorted diameter of the first bend 304 from binding at the pivot hole 104. In some embodiments, the bends are dimensioned such that a spacer is not required to prevent binding at the pivot hole 104.

In some embodiments, the bends 306 and 312 may be formed differently than the bends 304 and 310. The bends 306 and 312 may not be curved so may not have inner bend radii. The bends 306 and 312 may be elbows or other suitable connecting means to connect the legs 314 and 316 with the guard portion 318.

One aspect of the shelf guard is a simple installation. In some embodiments, installation may comprise a user securing the supports and fitting the guard into the pivot holes in the supports. The supports may be mounted to the shelf above the shelf being guarded via one or more screws.

Features, materials, characteristics, or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment, or example are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described in this section or elsewhere in this specification unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The protection is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The protections extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Furthermore, certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations, one or more features from a claimed combination can, in some cases, be excised from the combination, and the combination may be claimed as a subcombination or variation of a sub combination.

Moreover, while operations may be depicted in the drawings or described in the specification in a particular order, such operations need not be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Other operations that are not depicted or described can be incorporated in the example methods and processes. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the described operations. Further, the operations may be rearranged or reordered in other implementations. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some embodiments, the actual steps taken in the processes illustrated and/or disclosed may differ from those shown in the figures. Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps described above may be removed, others may be added. Furthermore, the features and attributes of the specific embodiments disclosed above may be combined in different ways to form additional embodiments, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Also, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described components and systems generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products.

For purposes of this disclosure, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features are described herein. Not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves one advantage or a group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

Conditional language, such as “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements, and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

Conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.

Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” as used herein represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of the stated amount. As another example, in certain embodiments, the terms “generally parallel” and “substantially parallel” refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that departs from exactly parallel by less than or equal to 15 degrees, 10 degrees, 5 degrees, 3 degrees, 1 degree, or 0.1 degree.

The scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited by the specific disclosures of preferred embodiments in this section or elsewhere in this specification, and may be defined by claims as presented in this section or elsewhere in this specification or as presented in the future. The language of the claims is to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to the examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for preventing items from falling off a shelf comprising: a guard configured to pivot about a pivot point and rotate from a first position to a second position; and a support comprising the pivot point and configured to secure the pivot point in a position relative to the shelf; wherein the guard rotates through an arc of more than 90 degrees between the first position and the second position in response to a shaking motion of the shelf
 2. A device for retaining items on a shelf comprising: a guard comprising a portion that extends along a horizontal axis that is generally parallel to a width of the shelf, wherein the guard moves with respect to a vertical axis, which is generally perpendicular to the horizontal axis, between a first position and a second position, wherein the guard is at a selected angle from the vertical axis when in the first position; and a support comprising a pivot point that the guard pivots about, wherein the pivot point is offset from a back of the shelf, wherein the guard is configured to rotate from the first position to the second position in response to a shaking motion of the shelf.
 3. A device for restraining items on a shelf comprising: a guard pivotable about a pivot point and rotatable between a first resting position and a second deployed position, wherein the first resting position is in a position configured to balance the guard in a stationary position; and a support comprising the pivot point; and wherein the guard moves through an arc of more than 90° between the first position and the second position in response to a vibration.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the support comprises a first surface and a second surface, the first surface comprising a hole for mounting and the second surface comprising a pivot hole configured to fit a portion of the guard and provide the pivot point.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the support is mounted to a shelf above the shelf being guarded.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the pivot point is positioned in front of a front edge of the shelf.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein when in the first position, the guard is tilted towards the back of the shelf.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the guard comprises a first bend, the first bend having an inner bend angle and an inside bend radius.
 9. The device of claim 8, wherein the inner bend angle is less than 90 degrees.
 10. The device of claim 8, wherein the inner bend radius is about 0.25 inches.
 11. The device of claim 8, further comprising a spacer positioned between the support and the first bend to prevent binding of the guard.
 12. The device of claim 8, wherein the first bend is configured to prevent binding of the guard.
 13. The device of claim 2, wherein the guard comprises four bends, each of the bends having an inner bend angle and an inside bend radius.
 14. The device of claim 2, wherein in the first position, the guard is angled towards the back of the shelf.
 15. The device of claim 2, wherein the selected angle is less than 10 degrees.
 16. The device of claim 2, wherein the guard rotates through an arc of more than 90 degrees when moving from the first position to the second position. 